By Unknown author - The Photographic History of The Civil War in Ten Volumes: Volume Five, Forts and Artillery. The Review of Reviews Co., New York. 1911. p. 265., Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=10305476
The cache is NOT at the posted coordinates.
From the Union perspective, Fort Fisher represents a crucial chapter in the American Civil War, particularly in the effort to blockade Confederate ports and cripple their ability to trade and resupply. Situated near Wilmington, North Carolina, Fort Fisher guarded the entrance to the Cape Fear River, one of the last remaining Confederate ports open to blockade runners supplying vital goods to the Confederate army.
The Union recognized the strategic importance of capturing Fort Fisher to effectively isolate the Confederacy from international trade and hasten the end of the war. In December 1864, Union forces launched a massive amphibious assault on the fort, accompanied by a relentless naval bombardment. Despite initial setbacks and heavy casualties, Union troops, under the command of Major General Benjamin Butler and Rear Admiral David D. Porter, ultimately succeeded in capturing Fort Fisher after a second assault in January 1865.
The fall of Fort Fisher was a significant blow to the Confederacy, effectively sealing off one of their last remaining lifelines to the outside world. With the loss of Fort Fisher, Wilmington fell into Union hands shortly thereafter, further isolating the Confederate states and hastening the collapse of the Confederacy.
The Union victory at Fort Fisher marked a turning point in the Civil War, demonstrating the effectiveness of combined land and naval operations in achieving strategic objectives. The capture of Fort Fisher dealt a severe blow to Confederate morale and materially weakened their ability to sustain the war effort.
After the Civil War, Fort Fisher declined in military importance and fell into disuse and disrepair. It was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1961, after which restoration was attempted. It continues to be protected as part of Fort Fisher State Recreation Area.
Sources: ChatGPT, Wikipedia
-----
-----
One of the oldest roads in the state, Fort Road was originally built by the federal government after Fort Ridgely was completed in 1853-54. Supplies were shipped from Fort Snelling to Traverse des Sioux, then transported by wagon to Fort Ridgely.
Nicollet County Road 5 runs more than 42 miles from its eastern terminus at its intersection with US Highway 169 in St Peter to the Renville County line. Old Fort Road presumably extended from Traverse des Sioux, although the portion running through the campus of Gustavus Adolphus College has been blocked off. Fort Road as an address runs from the western edge of St Peter to the end of CR-5.
In an ideal world, a paved trail would have been installed when the road was refurbished in the early 2010s. This planned geocache trail will have to suffice, but won’t alleviate my anxiety when biking here.